Educational Science

Scientists Build 'Frankenstein' Neanderthal Skeleton

Anthropologists have built a Frankenstein Neanderthal skeleton, the first and only full-body reconstruction of the species. The result, announced today, is a shape no one expected. It's almost like making my own fossil discovery, said Gary Sawyer, one of the skeleton's architects. Sawyer, an anthropologist at the American Natural History...

Weather So Perfect It's Strange

With extreme weather and a shifty climate constantly in the news, a little moderation might seem strange. Take last year's weather in the Midwest: It was so perfect, it was unlike anything seen in more than a century. Goldilocks weather conditions -- not too cloudy, not too hot, just enough...

Health care lags behind the information age, a new study found. Fewer than a third of hospitals and only 17 percent of doctors' offices check electronic records prior to treating patients or prescribing medicine. Only 8 percent of physicians use a computerized physician order entry system. The setup, advocated by...

Roach Robot Feels Its Way Around

As if the world needs more roaches, engineers are now building a robotic version. Most robotic vehicles sent into dangerous situations rely on cameras or sonar to navigate. Neither method works every time. The new mechanical creature uses a wiggly cockroach-like antenna to feel its way around, mimicking the behavior...

World's Largest Floating Object Free Again

An iceberg the size of Luxembourg is adrift again after running aground two months ago, when it blocked sea ice in Antarctica and threatened wildlife. In January the giant frozen block was on a collision course with the Drygalski ice tongue in McMurdo Sound on the Ross Sea. But it...

Samson and Delilah Reunited after Brain Surgery

Samson the lion, recuperating from a first-of-its-kind brain operation, is now back with his sister, Delilah, at the Hai-Kef zoo in Rishon Lezion, Israel. ? The meeting between Samson and his sister Delilah was joyous and emotional, said the director of the zoo, Bezalel Porath. Samson now has many visitors....

Silver Contaminates 'Pristine' North Pacific

A survey announced today found the highest levels of silver contamination ever observed in the ocean. The high concentrations are in the North Pacific, a region thought to be relatively pristine, scientists said. The extent of contamination -- 50 times higher than the natural level of silver that should be...

No Stopping it Now: Seas to Rise 4 Inches or More this Century

Even if all industrial pollution and auto emissions suddenly ceased today, Earth's climate will warm at least 1 degree by the year 2100 and seas will rise 4 inches (11 centimeters), according to a new study. The warming is likely to continue through 2400, another study forecasts. The worst-case scenario...